


Be Safe, Stupid.

by Qais



Category: Hit the Floor (TV)
Genre: #WhoShotJelena, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-19
Updated: 2016-11-19
Packaged: 2018-08-31 23:30:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8598076
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Qais/pseuds/Qais
Summary: "And one day, I pray, I'll be more than my father's sonBut I don't own a single gun"





	

**Author's Note:**

> Summary is from The Lumineers' "Gun Song." I thought it was apt. 
> 
> This piece is pretty much self-indulgent blather. It's what I wanted the scene to look like when Zero rushes to the hospital.

"For all of the light that I shut out  
For all of the innocent things that I doubt  
For all of the bruises that I've caused and the tears  
For all of the things that I've done all these years  
Yeah, for all of the sparks that I've stomped out  
For all of the perfect things that I doubt"

Zero thinks maybe it'll be okay. 

But his hands are clenching the steering wheel so hard that his hands are ghost white. His breathing is shallow. His eyes sting.

Ahsha hadn't been specific, had only said "we're at the hospital and Jude is here-" before the sound of Sloane in the background distracted her and she'd hurriedly told him which damn hospital. 

Running around and harassing nurses was not what he thought he'd be doing today but here he was, running around looking for Jude. If Zero had believed even an ounce of the religious blather he'd spoken on TV he might've prayed. But he didn't. He believed in Jude, and he knew that if something had happened to Jude he'd pull through. He had to. He would.

He almost misses the doors to the ER but he catches a glimpse of Jude's face and is so relieved that for a moment the blood on Jude's clothes escapes his attention. But only for a moment. 

"Jude," his voice is hoarse and Jude looks up and seems as relieved as Zero. All Zero can see is the blood and he flashes to a moment when he was 7 and Laura was 5. They'd been playing and they broke one of Zero's few belongings, a toy car. They'd both been beaten black and blue before being thrown out to sleep in the yard with nothing but a blanket, but that wasn't even the worst part of it. Zero had cradled the pieces of the car to his chest all night while he and Laura curled around each other trying to get warm.

He loves things and they break and Zero is always, always, always left, cradling the pieces to his chest hoping they'll be fixed. 

There's a voice in the background talking about an investigation into who shot Jelena (and Zero doesn't even feel guilty at how half of the tension seeps out of his shoulder when he hears her name) but Zero bypasses it and goes straight to Jude. Beautiful, gorgeous Jude, who's shaking ever so slightly and looks two seconds away from crying. Zero guides Jude to a chair and kneels in front of him, taking his jacket off and draping it over Jude's shoulders.

"Jude." His voice is quiet and the name passes over his lips like molten gold. 

"I- there was so much blood and she thought I'd just leave her there- Ze- Gid- I wouldn't- I can't-" As he struggles to speak his breaths start coming faster and Zero pulls Jude's head down to his chest, trying to will away the tears that have sprung to his eyes.

"No babe, I know, I know you wouldn't leave her ok?" He's running his fingers through Jude's hair, trying desperately to reassure him. "You're not your father Jude, you're not him, you're Jude, and I love you and I know you-" and the tears escape him. They're both crying and Zero feels like a clown because, really, what is he crying about? Jude's the one who found the dying girl and he's the one with the blood all over him.

Zero hears Kyle's shrill voice in the background, and Ahsha and Sloane bringing her up to speed. The detective is hovering around, occasionally murmuring to one of the security guards standing around. And then Lionel and Pete arrive.

Zero turns to look, at this point Jude and him are on the ground with Jude enveloped in Zero's arms, and finds it in him to give a shit about the state the two of them are in. Lionel looks pale and sounds as if she's trying very hard to hack up a lung, and Pete doesn't seem to be doing much better. Jude is still crying and Zero has drying tear tracks on his cheeks when Lionel's gaze finds them both.

She jerks as if she's been hit and then she's almost running towards them, kneeling next to them when she reaches them. She's still coughing and her hands are hovering around the curled up ball that Jude has become, unsure of what she should do. When Jude looks up and Lionel catches a glimpse of his red rimmed eyes and the blood stains here and there from nervous hands, she puts both her hands on Jude's cheeks, forcing him to look at her. 

"Jude, are you hurt?" Lionel's voice is hoarse and shaking, afraid of the answer. 

Jude shakes his head and then speaks hesitantly. "No, I- Lionel it-" he pauses, and take a deep breath, gathering his courage for something. It becomes clear what for when his voice seems to be pulled from him quietly and sadly, his lips curving around the word, "Mom."

Zero is a little taken aback, but then again not really. Jude had wanted to stay in L.A. to protect Lionel and she'd made it clear what would happen to Zero if he hurt Jude. They were as much of a family as any. Lionel, on her part, seems equally nonplussed and pleased, before smiling the kindest smile Zero has seen on her face to date and pulling Jude down to kiss his forehead.

"I'm here Jude. And don't call me mom, I'm too young to be your mother," her voice is light but catches on the word mother. Zero cuts a sharp glance at her but leaves the issue for another day when Jelena isn't bleeding out and Jude isn't trying to empty himself of every tear he's never cried because he's Oscar's son.

It'll be ok.

"I'll be good, I'll be good  
And I'll love the world, like I should  
Yeah, I'll be good, I'll be good  
For all of the times I never could."

**Author's Note:**

> The lyrics in the piece are from Jaymes Young's "I'll Be Good." 
> 
> Thanks for reading! Please come scream at me about these two idiots in the comments.


End file.
